Þórsmörk from Reykjavík

Can you visit Þórsmörk as a day trip from Reykjavík?

Yes. With pickup in Reykjavík the day runs 10 to 12 hours; driving yourself to Hvolsvöllur, it is a 7-hour tour plus about 1.5 hours each way.

Hvolsvöllur is about 106 km from Reykjavík on Route 1, over the Hellisheiði plateau and through Selfoss and Hella. From there the jeep heads east to Seljalandsfoss and turns onto the F249 gravel road into the reserve. Most of the day's driving is that approach, and the rivers at the end.

It is a full day, not an exhausting one: the jeep does the work and the walks are short unless you book the hike day.

Is it better to take a tour with Reykjavík pickup or drive to Hvolsvöllur?

If you have a car for the south coast anyway, drive and join Midgard for $320. If you are staying in Reykjavík without a car, take a pickup tour.

The options from the capital, side by side:

The honest gap: the shared pickup day on Viator is new, with two reviews. The proven shared days are in the south. If reviews matter most to you, drive, or pay for a private day with 51 reviews behind it.

How long is the drive from Reykjavík to the Þórsmörk base camps?

About 1.5 hours to Midgard in Hvolsvöllur (106 km) and roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to Southcoast Adventure's Brú camp on road 249. Allow more in winter.

Leave at least two hours before your start time: the Hellisheiði pass can be slow in wind or snow, and you want time for coffee. Check umferdin.is for road conditions and vedur.is for wind warnings before you set off. From October to April, a yellow wind warning on the south coast is a reason to drive slowly, not a reason the tour stops.

Brú is 7 km up road 249 after you turn off Route 1 towards Seljalandsfoss. Look for the Southcoast Adventure sign.

What does a Þórsmörk day from Reykjavík look like?

Pickup around 9:00, a coffee stop in Hvolsvöllur, Seljalandsfoss, then the F249 river crossings, Gígjökull, a canyon and a viewpoint walk, and back in Reykjavík in the evening.

The Gravel Travel listing describes the morning: over Hellisheiði, along the south coast, and a coffee break in Hvolsvöllur before the jeep turns inland. Inside the reserve, most days follow the same pattern: Gígjökull, the glacier tongue whose lagoon the 2010 floods filled in; Stakkholtsgjá canyon; and a walk up to a valley viewpoint such as Valahnúkur.

Private days put more time on foot. Glaciers and Waterfalls lists 30 minutes at Seljalandsfoss, 30 at Eyjafjallajökull and two hours on Valahnúkur. Arctic Trucks lists an hour each at Stakkholtsgjá and Eyjafjallajökull.

Your group's own jeep from Reykjavík: Seljalandsfoss, Eyjafjallajökull and two hours on Valahnúkur. 5.0 from 51 reviews.

★ 5.0 · 11 to 12 hours · from $1,165

Explore the private Valahnúkur day → Tour details

Can you stop at Seljalandsfoss on the way to Þórsmörk?

Yes. F249 starts at Seljalandsfoss, so every route into Þórsmörk passes it. Private tours stop for about 30 minutes; drivers can stop on their own.

The 60-metre waterfall has a path that loops behind the curtain of water, and Gljúfrabúi, a waterfall hidden in a slot canyon, is a five-minute walk north. Parking costs 1,000 ISK per car in 2026 and covers both.

If you drive to Midgard, stop on the way back, not the way there: the jeep leaves on time. Bring waterproofs for the path behind the falls, and skip it when it is iced over in winter.

Is the Gravel Travel day from Reykjavík a good choice?

It is the only shared Reykjavík pickup into Þórsmörk on Viator, at $339 with Wi-Fi and pickup from 32 points. The catch: two reviews, a group of up to 19, and no lunch.

Both reviews give five stars, but two is a small sample. The drop-off is Bus Stop 12 at Höfðatorg, not your hotel door. You can also join along the way in Hveragerði, Selfoss, Hella or Hvolsvöllur.

Pack lunch and a full water bottle: a ten-hour day with nothing included is long. If you would rather have a track record, Midgard sells its own Reykjavík version on its website, or drive to Hvolsvöllur and join the 321-review day.

When is a private jeep from Reykjavík worth it?

For four or more people, or anyone who wants a long hike and a flexible day. At $1,165 per group, four people pay about $291 each with pickup included.

Private days change the rhythm: you stop when you want, walk longer, and no one waits for the slowest person on the bus. Arctic Trucks uses its own 38-inch jeeps and adds Eyjafjallajökull. Private prices vary with group size, so check the total at checkout.

Should you stay near Hvolsvöllur instead?

If you can spare a night, yes. A night in Hvolsvöllur turns a 12-hour day into a 7-hour tour, and Midgard collects from hotels there and in Hella.

Stay the night before, join the morning tour, and you skip the 7:00 alarm and the dark drive. Midgard's base camp has a restaurant; one guest wrote that they "had a great dinner at the base camp after the tour". Hvolsvöllur is also on Strætó route 53 from Selfoss, so it works without a car. The getting there guide has the bus details.

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